Suspensory bandage.



W. I. WARE. SUSPBNSORY BANDAGE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, 1912.

1,057,693. Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

INVENTOR Vlh/jerf [Var/ e, WITNESSE S lga/4am 1 fg ATTORNEY sou-Mam PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON. DC,

WALTER F. WARE, 0F HAIDDONFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

SUSPENSOBY BANDAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 24, 1912.

Serial No. 679,748.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lVAL'rER F. WARE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Haddonfield, county of Camden, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suspensory Bandages, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention particularly relates to that clasS of surgical devices commercially known as jock straps or suspensory bandages, and is especially directed to the type which is provided with a pouch dependingly supported from a waistband.

The principal objects of this invention are, to provide a suspensory bandage con structed and arranged to afiord the greatest possible comfort to the wearer, and to eliminate in such a device the disagreeable and objectionable features which have been found to exist in such devices as heretofore constructed.

Other objects of this invention are, to provide a suspensory bandage with a pouch having an elastic periphery and forming a deep pocket which is of greatest circumferential extent near the bottom, and which substantially conforms to the member intended to be supported; to support said pouch by spaced straps laterally engaging its peripheral edge upon diametrically opposite sides; to provide a waistband with a frictional clasp which may readily permit the adjustment of said waistband; and to provide a waistband with spring clips for attaching the free ends of the supporting straps thereto, and to so form said spring clips as to absolutely prevent accidental slipping of said straps.

Further objects of this invent-ion are, to provide a suspensory bandage in which the opposite side portions may relatively reciprocate in accordance with the walking movement, and thereby prevent chafing; to provide straps folded longitudinally at the region of attachment with the pouch, forming a binding embracing the lateral peripheral edge portions of the pouch, and providing a curved or rolled edge at the region of greatest pressure on the body; and to provide elastic straps supporting the pouch, having means local to said pouch to prevent stretching.

This invention comprehends a suspensory bandage which may be adjusted without dis torting the pouch longitudinally; and a suspensory bandage which may be neatly folded for display and which may inclosed in a very small parcel. I

Specifically stated, this invention includes a suspensory bandage comprising a waistband, having a slip clasp for girth adjustment, and provided with straps separately attached to the front thereof and supporting a depending pouch, by engagement along its diametrically opposite lateral edge portions. Said waistband is also provided with spring clips each having a tongue formed in a compound curve for frictionally holding the ends of the pouch supporting straps, and laterally disposed means extending substantially parallel with said tongue and disposed upon opposite sides thereof for attaching said spring clips to said waistband, the pouch supporting straps being arranged to be frictionally engaged with the spring clips by slipping their free end portions between the tongues and waistband.

This invention further includes all of the various novel features of construction and arrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a suspensory bandage conveniently constructed in accordance with this invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan sectional view taken longitudinally of the waistband and showing the method of adjusting the waistband, and engaging the strapsthereto; and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the means of attachment of the pouch to the pouch supporting straps.

In said figures, the waistband 12 is preferably formed of elastic webbing, and is provided at one end with a tab 13 for the convenient attachment of the slip clasp 14., for engagement of the looped free end 15 of said waistband 12. Said Waistband 12 is provided at the front portion with a preferably non-elastic strip 17 of webbing, to which the counterpart spring clips 18 and 19 are secured, the spring tongues of said clips extending through the facing 20, which conveniently incloses the reinforcing strip 17 and the base plate portion 22 of said spring clips, as best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The pouch 25 is preferably formed of knitted material, and comprises a relatively deep elastic pocket, being of greater diame- Patented Apr. 1,1913.

ter at its lower portion, and tapering upwardly to a restricted orifice formed by an elastic peripheral edge 27. Said pouch 25 is conveniently supported by separate spaced straps 28 and 29, preferably formed of narrow elastic webbing and secured in spaced relation to the front of the waistband 12, and forming loops 81 and 32, having their opposite free end portions respectively engaged beneath the tongues 33 of the spring clips 18 and 19.

When in operative position, the straps 28 and 29 extend downwardly from the waistband in parallel relation a suitable distance, and are folded longitudinally local to the pouch 25 to form a binding embracing the diametrically opposite lateral edge portions of said pouch, to which it is conveniently attached by stitching, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 8, thus leaving the front and rear peripheral edge portions 3 1: and free, and forming asuitable free aperture 36 embraced by the waistband, pouch and straps, for an obvious purpose.

It will be obvious from the foregoing de scription, that by reason of the peculiar engagement of the straps with the pouch, said pouch is maintained in its proper position, and that any adjustment of the straps 28 and 29 will not affect a longitudinal distortion of the pouch, for the reason that said straps are continuous. It has been found preferable, however, to provide a nonelastic piece 38 of webbing or other suitable material, as best shown in Fig. 3, disposed a short distance along the lateral peripheral portions of the pouch at the region of attachment with the straps 28 and 29, and embraced within the turned over or folded portion of said straps.

It will be obvious that the non-elastic piece 38, which is relatively short, prevents stretching of that portion of the straps at the point of contact of the member supported by the pouch 25, and thereby prevents possible distortion at said point of contact, and consequently. prevents irritation or chafing. Furthermore, it will be noted that by folding the straps 28 and 29 longitudinally at the region of engagement with the pouch 25, a rolled edge is provided which affords a smooth bearing surface at the pointof contact and greatest pressure upon the body, thereby affording absolute comfort.

It willbe noted that a suspensory bandage provided with the clasp lt and the clips 18 and 19 is free from buckles, and that said claspand clips are so formed and secured to the waistband that no portion of the metallic partcan contact with any portion of the body, and as each of the clips and the clasp are formed of a single piece of sheet material and have no relatively movable parts, it will be seen that they provide no parts which may accidentally scratch or otherwise injure the wearer, and that they have no parts which may become worn or get out of order.

By forming the pouch with a restricted orifice, the member intended to be supported thereby, or any portion thereof, is prevented from accidental displacement, while the enlarged bottom portion of said pouch conforms to said member, and by the elas ticit-y of the peripheral edge surrounding said orifice, it may be stretched to permit the free ingress and egress of said member.

By reason of the fact that the straps 28 and 29 are spaced apart and attached to the pouch in the manner above set forth, it will be obvious that the restricted orifice may be stretched to any desired extent laterally, for obvious purposes, and the adjustment of said straps 28 and 29 may be made by simply drawing them taut and slipping them under the tongues 33 of the spring clips 18 and 19, and that they may be drawn to any desired tension without distorting the pouch longitudinally in a rearward direction, which fact it will be clearly seen is advantageous, not only for comfort, but for sanitary reasons. Furthermore, by supporting the pouch upon separate and independently mounted straps, the diametrically opposite lateral edge portions may move longitudinally in opposite directions, thus affording free movement of the pouch when the wearer is in the act of walking. Also, by reason of the fact that the pouch is supported, from a single substantially endless waistband of relatively narrow material, by separated straps of similar material, the least possible supporting harness is afforded.

By reason of the light and open construction above described, the suspensory bandage may be conveniently folded into a neat and condensed parcel, which may be inclosed in a small casing, of such dimensions as to be readily carried in the pocket.

It is not desired to limit this inventionto the precise details of construction and arrangement herein set forth, as various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: I

1. A suspensory bandage comprising a waistband, a pouch having a relatively small orifice surrounded by an elastic periphery, spaced straps connected with said waistband and extending downwardly and rearwardly and forming loops extending along and engaged with the opposite lateral edges of said pouch, and spring clips for attaching the free ends of said straps to said waistband.

2. A suspensory bandage comprising a waistband, a pouch broadened near the bottom, and having a relatively small orifice, and spaced straps connected to said waistband at the front thereof and extending continuously downward and outward, and forming loops extending along and attached to the diametrically opposite edges of said pouch, and supporting said pouch in spaced relation to said waistband, thereby leaving a long and broad aperture between said band,'pouch and straps.

3. A suspensory bandage comprising a pouch having supporting straps attached along its diametrically opposite lateral edge portions, and having its front and rear flexible edge portions free to be distorted.

4. A suspensory bandage comprising a waistband, a pouch, and supporting straps connected with said waistband and engaging the diametrically opposite lateral edge port-ions of saidpouch, leaving the front and rear edge portions free, and permitting a substantially parallel relative movement of the respective straps.

5. A suspensory bandage comprising a waistband, a pouch, and spaced supporting straps connected to said waistband and engaging the diametrically opposite lateral edge portions of said pouch, leaving the front and rear edge portions free.

6. A suspensory bandage comprising a waistband, a pouch, and spaced supporting straps connected with said waistband and attached to the diametrically opposite lateral edges of said pouch, and extending continuously from said waistband downward and outward, and forming loops having their opposite ends attached to said waistband and leaving the front and rear edges of said pouch free, and permitting a substantially parallel relative movement of the straps;

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of February, A. D., 1912.

WALTER F. WARE.

Witnesses:

RozlLLA F. WARE, JAMES WV. CONGER, CHARLES H. PnAoooK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

